The Heart Of Winter
by frost-powered-mayhem
Summary: a collection of related one shots and arcs about how Jack being (un)dead makes life interesting for everyone :) teenage Jamie (brotherly love) and JackRabbit pairing rated M


**Hello! it has been forever since i have written anything so please be forgiving! I apologize for the lack of descriptions in this installment, it is mostly dialog, I will make up for it in future posts i promise, these two just had to have their argument RIGHT NOW X(**

**hope you enjoy!**

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"Evil dead, resident evil, zombieland, 28 days later, night of the living dead" Jack raised an eyebrow at Jamie's' eager grin "I'm sensing a theme kiddo"

Jamie grimaced as he poured popcorn into a bowl "I'm almost 16 now, I though we agreed that 'bro' was a more age appropriate term these days"

Jack grinned as he tossed the tv guide back on the coffee table "No _you_ decided it was, as your 'older brother', by a few centuries I might add, I out rank you and get final say in what constitutes as an age appropriate term"

"Jerkface"

"Slacker"

"Wanker"

"Hey now, where did you learn that kind of language?"

"You"

"Oh sod off"

Jamie laughed as he dropped the popcorn bowl onto the coffee table. "You're lucky mom took Soph out for one of those girly spa weekends, she would tattle to Bunny soooo faaaast"

"Pftftftftftf" Jack leaned back into his casual sprawl on couch, careful not to knock over his staff leaned against the armrest. Blue eyes sparkled up at Jamie full of mischief, despite the dullness of fatigue. "He's taught her worse, it's just harder to tell because his slang is almost impossible to understand"

"I believe that, never could figure out what cut snakes had to do with anything" Jamie dropped his lanky frame onto the opposite end of the couch and immediately hit Jack in the face with a pillow when he was attacked by cold feet

Grinning triumphantly Jack laid claim to said pillow "thank you!" and stuffed it behind his head for a more comfortable sprawl. the proceeded to, in a very cat like fashion, take up more space on the couch than physics dictated his petite form should be able to.

once comfortable he shifted only enough to lay claim to the popcorn bowl and dig the remote out from under the small of his back. disdainfully tossing the 'way more buttons than necessary' device to Jamie. "Alright control master, let's get this zombie movie marathon started then shall we? not getting any younger"

Jamie rolled his eyes as he tried to remember how the new remote control worked "where you always this lazy during your off season?

"Don't have an off season" Jack shrugged some stiffness out of his shoulders "Besides autumn just started, do you know just how MANY trees there are in the Northern Hemisphere? and all of them need painting"

"Whiner" finding the right channel right at the beginning credits of what promised to be an all night horror marathon of shambling zombies, Jamie lunged for the popcorn bowl. And ended up in an awkward sprawl across Jacks' chilly frame, popcorn pulled just out of reach by the grinning elemental. Drumming his fingers on the seat cushion the mortal glared, seriously he didn't even know why Jack took the bowl, it's not like he ever seemed to eat. Always telling Jamie his immortal nature meant he didn't need to like humans and tooth would raise hell over him eating Jamie's typical snacks of choice.

"I saw you yawning three times while getting snacks, I may be lazy but we may be up past your bedtime kiddo think you can handle it?" Jamie merely growled and dug his elbow in Jacks side as he stretched for popcorn. "omf! Your heavy, get off!'

"Revenge bro, deal with it"

"Uhg! Fine here's the popcorn, now kindly remove your elbow from my spleen please"

Jamie snatched the popcorn and took a minute to consider "fair enough, fine" and shifted into an only slightly less awkward sprawl across the winter spirit.

Huffing in exasperation Jack rolled his eyes and settled into watching the movie too tired to keep up energetic banter. The feeling seemed mutual as they lapsed into companionable silence with only the odd comment here and there directed at the characters on screen and their poor life choices.

00000

A movie and a half into the horror fest Jack found his eyes drooping closed more often than not. And a soft snore alerted him to why it had been so long since a snarky comment had come from Jamie.

Shaking his head fondly he shifted the half empty bowl of popcorn to the back of the couch and glanced down at Jamie who had never moved from his awkward sprawl. "You'll be stiff as an old man if you stay like that" he muttered gathering up the lanky teen. Too tired to try and shift Jamies heavier frame to a more comfortable position on the other side of the couch and knowing from past experience the kid kicked in his sleep, Jack simply shifted down to lie on his back and pulled Jamie with him till soft chestnut hair brushed his chin and Jamies' weight settled comfortingly over him. With all their lanky limbs stretch out to prevent unpleasant cramps, and the throw blanket pulled down to drape messily over the mortal teens back, Jack draped an arm over his (annoyingly) bigger, younger brother and stretched his free hand out to the coffee table with a frown of concentration.

Slowly a thin slick of ice built up under the remote control, just enough for it to slide off the table into Jacks' hand.

Breathing a sigh of triumph he fumbled the remote until he got the volume down to a more nap conducive level and let his hand drop to the floor, exhaustion and Jamie's warmth dragging him back down into the rare deep sleep only complete safety can induce.

00000

An hour later Jamie started becoming aware of the world again.

Blearily he popped his head up to take in his surroundings. Taking in the sight of Jacks' peacefully sleeping face first he processed his new position. Shaking his head a little in affection he drowsily started to register how quiet it was. Letting his lazy gaze sweep from where Jack had turned his face into the back of the couch, down the eternal teens' arm to where it dangled limply to the floor remote still in hand

'_ah that explains it'_ the thought was hazy as chocolate brown eyes swept up to the tv. Distantly grateful for the quiet with all the screaming that appeared to be going on, on the screen. It then took three tries for Jamie to focus on the clock on the cable box and another minute for it the seep in that not enough time had passed for him to care.

Surroundings assessed and level of give a damn recognized Jamie settled back down. Simply enjoying the weight of Jacks' arm across his back as his winter chill mixed comfortingly with the warmth of the blanket over them both, sleepily he nuzzled his cheek into the soft worn fabric of the elementals hoodie. Enjoying the soft creak and crackle of the frost patterns shifting against his ear till he finally stilled and soaked in the quiet.

The calm

The stillness

The

Utter

Silence

Jamies eyes slowly grew wide as baseballs as some rather urgent information started trickling through his lazy fog

Jerking up he felt the blanket and Jacks arm fall limply from his back as he stared down at the peacefully still guardian.

Dropping back down his arms braced on either side of Jacks ribs he pressed his ear again to the frost clad chest

Minutes dripped by in silence

In stillness

Jerking back up again fingers sought and pressed into the ivory columns of throat and wrist as Jamies' brain tripped around in the fog of growing panic and sleep that was too slow to burn off.

There was still nothing

Only cold and stillness

"ack" Jamie started to shake thin shoulders his voice lost somewhere in the pit of his stomach "ack" had he taken classes about this sort of thing? How long ago? What did he learn again? "JACK!" oh good his voice found it's way back

Brain scrambling to remember his summer class at the learning annex Jamie missed the muted thud of the remote hitting the carpet as the hand holding it twitched, or the faint furrow of discomfort of Jacks brow.

"JACK!" letting go of the elementals shoulders he placed his hands together atop the center of Jacks chest and pushed as his mind started to blank out everything else.

Once

He missed the crackling sound of ice crystals forming coming from the floor by the couch

Twice

He missed the faint wheezy groan from pale lips

Thre-a snowball smashed against the side of his head knocking him off balance and into the popcorn bowl throwing the fluffy snack everywhere in a salty parody of snow

Yelping Jamie jumped up standing unsteadily on his side of the couch face pale as he pointed at Jack mouth gapping open

"WHAT THE HELL JAMIE?" jack scramble up to stand on his side of the couch. The remains of a snowball falling from his hand and Jamies hair. He pressed his other hand to the sore spot on his chest "YOU COULD HAVE JUST MOVED!"

"I WAS SAVING YOU!"

"FROM A NAP?"

"You, you, were-"

"ASLEEP? I KNOW!"

"You, you weren't-"

"AWAKE? YES I KNOW!"

"YOU WERE DEAD!"

"OH!….oh"

"You weren't BREATHING!"

"Ah"

"You had no HEARTBEAT!"

"I see"

"You're not surprised?!"

"Not really"

"…you _**HAVE**_ no heartbeat!"

"Not for centuries"

"**YOU'RE UNDEAD!"**

"I know"

"You never thought to mention this **BEFORE!"**

"Jamie you were _**nine**_ and I know what that kind of information can do to a kid, I saw the movie Sixth Sense!"

Jamie opened his mouth and stopped "wait, when did you see sixth sense? I never made you watch that"

They stood there staring at each other from opposite ends of the couch each as disheveled as the cushions under their feet panting with adrenaline, Jamie had yet to lower the finger he was point accusingly at his best friend.

Jack rolled his eyes "I snuck into theaters way be fore I knew you kiddo, it was a movie about ghosts I wanted" he waved his hands "it was traumatic, not the issue, focus Jamie"

Jamie shook his head and his eyes narrowed his hand finally lowering "What about after, when I was older? What about saying something at ANY point in these last few years?"

Jack seemed to deflate and flopped back onto the couch "it just…never came up" he shrugged half heartedly staring up at Jamie "I've felt more alive in the lest few years than in the last few centuries and I just…never thought about it" he looked down "didn't want to" spindly fingers picking at the hem of his sweater "I'm sorry" there was a long silence. "It doesn't…" his eyes darted to the movie still rolling silently across the screen. Wincing as hordes of the un-dead ripped apart a screaming woman "it's doesn't matter, does it?"

**Flomp**

Jack didn't look up as the couch moved under Jamie's sudden height change.

There was more silence

Blue fabric was quickly fraying; he would need a new hoodie soon.

Suddenly a hand fisted in the crackling frost at his neck line producing an awkward squawk as he was yanked into a thin warm chest and bound by surprising strong, lanky arms

"Your lucky I love you, you moron, how am I supposed to learn maturity from such a stupid older brother"

And just like that the world snapped back into its rightful place

Jacks body relaxed as he huffed in exasperation. His hands coming up grip Jamie's arms briefly before wriggling and pulling them away "we are grinding popcorn into the couch cushions your mom's going to kill us"

Jamie grinned as Jack started sweeping popcorn onto the floor "I think she'll be more pissed about the spring I just broke" he reached out to tug on the frayed band of frosted material "hey Jack"

"Hmm?"

"Can i…"

Jack looked into those oh so young brown eyes, so accepting, forgiving, confused and unsure, and smiled "Sure"

Giving one last sweep at the popcorn he settled back into his previous laying down position and opened his arms to Jamie who settled back onto his chest with only the slightest hesitation.

Snuggling his face back into crackling blue fabric as chilly arms tightened over his back Jamie snagged the remote from the floor and casually flicked through channels. The zombie marathon would be playing again some other time he was sure and they where really all the same anyway

"You know you owe me big for forgiving you so fast"

Jack hmmmed "I do"

"We will be having a loooooooong talk later"

"Fair enough"

"And you WILL tell Sophie"

Jack groaned

Jamie never turned the sound on the tv back up as the lay watching cartoons flash across the screen and listened to the silence

**000000**

**and done hope it wasn't too bad. sorry if i sort of dropped you in the middle of things (i'm not sorry) if it seems a little weird how cuddly Jack and Jamie are (me an my bro don't get along that well so experience is limited) in my head they are totally puppies/litter mates with each other (which i do have experience with, with the siblings i chose) and i will get into that in later chapters as well as a whoooole bunch of other stuff :)**


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